Hundreds ride BART sans pants

PERFORMANCE ART

Published 4:00 am, Monday, January 11, 2010

A perplexed BART patron looks at pantsless riders Sunday as they leave the Embarcadero BART station for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

A perplexed BART patron looks at pantsless riders Sunday as they leave the Embarcadero BART station for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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From left to right, "Chung," "Walker" and "Cat" walk along Market Street on Sunday after leaving the Embarcadero BART station, taking part in No Pants! Subway Ride 2010. Pantsless riders boarded at various stations, converging at Embarcadero station and boarding Muni for more riding. The ultimate destination was Macy's, in search of pants. less

From left to right, "Chung," "Walker" and "Cat" walk along Market Street on Sunday after leaving the Embarcadero BART station, taking part in No Pants! Subway Ride 2010. Pantsless riders boarded at various ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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One of the participants in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010 walks without pants along Market Street on Sunday after leaving the Embarcadero BART station.

One of the participants in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010 walks without pants along Market Street on Sunday after leaving the Embarcadero BART station.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Lexi, no last name given, left, and Alison Le Roy of San Francisco photograph Elias Shyne of San Francisco without pants at the Embarcadero BART station. Shyne was taking part in No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Lexi, no last name given, left, and Alison Le Roy of San Francisco photograph Elias Shyne of San Francisco without pants at the Embarcadero BART station. Shyne was taking part in No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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There was a little more flesh showing Sunday at the Embarcadero BART station as some riders took part in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

There was a little more flesh showing Sunday at the Embarcadero BART station as some riders took part in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Image 6 of 14

Daniel Lanis, left, and a friend are photographed Sunday without pants at the Embarcadero BART station for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Daniel Lanis, left, and a friend are photographed Sunday without pants at the Embarcadero BART station for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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From left to right, Katyana Gradler, Daniel Hash and Enrico Rossi watch as Khris Allen of Oakland drops his pants at the Embarcadero BART station Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

From left to right, Katyana Gradler, Daniel Hash and Enrico Rossi watch as Khris Allen of Oakland drops his pants at the Embarcadero BART station Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Pantsless riders take the escalator at the Embarcadero BART station on Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Pantsless riders take the escalator at the Embarcadero BART station on Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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A BART patron uses her cell phone camera to photograph some bare legs of patrons at the Embarcadero BART station Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

A BART patron uses her cell phone camera to photograph some bare legs of patrons at the Embarcadero BART station Sunday for the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Daniel Hash, Enrico Rossi and Katyana Gradler ride a BART train on Sunday with others taking part in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Daniel Hash, Enrico Rossi and Katyana Gradler ride a BART train on Sunday with others taking part in the No Pants! Subway Ride 2010.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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A subway passenger looks up at participants in the "No Pants Subway Ride" in New York on Sunday.

A subway passenger looks up at participants in the "No Pants Subway Ride" in New York on Sunday.

Photo: Seth Wenig, AP

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A subway passenger, left, looks on at participants in the "No Pants Subway Ride" in Mexico City on Sunday.

A subway passenger, left, looks on at participants in the "No Pants Subway Ride" in Mexico City on Sunday.

Photo: Marco Ugarte, AP

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TMI - 2:05 pm - on a BART train from West Oakland BART station
I was covering the 9th annual No Pants! 2010 Subway Ride and found this unique interpretation of the theme...I couldn't imagine how cold he was but he seemed to be enjoying the moment. I had submitted a wider shot that wasn't as, well, detailed...and if you think this is too much information, just be glad I didn't photograph him from the back side.
Camera settings: ISO 2000, 1/160th second, f4.5, Canon 5D mkII less

TMI - 2:05 pm - on a BART train from West Oakland BART station
I was covering the 9th annual No Pants! 2010 Subway Ride and found this unique interpretation of the theme...I couldn't imagine how cold he was but ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Hundreds ride BART sans pants

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Turns out, BART is a tad breezy.

Hundreds of riders learned that uncomfortable truth the hard way Sunday when they removed their pants on crowded, San Francisco-bound trains, as part of a national stunt sponsored by a New York performance art group.

"It feels strangely normal," said Luke Jakobsson, a student from Castro Valley who rode BART from the East Bay in nothing but shoes, a Swedish soccer jersey and matching skivvies. "Although I'm not sure how I feel about the wind in my ass."

They rode trains from the East Bay and the Peninsula, met at the Embarcadero Station and fanned across Muni and San Francisco streets, ostensibly in search of pants.

The purpose was to bring a bit of goofiness to public transit. Although, this being the Bay Area, many just wanted an excuse to disrobe in public.

"It's refreshing. This is California," said Katyana Gradler, who's visiting from Pittsburgh and wore pink tights and not much else for the occasion. "At home, we couldn't do this because there are 4 feet of snow on the ground."

Her friend Enrico Rossi, an Oakland craftsman, took the pantless theme a step further, shedding shirt and underwear as well. Instead, he wore work boots and a taupe-colored, transparent leotard.

"We're part of the Pants Liberation Front," he said. "Pants have been keeping us down too long. I've been itching and chafing for 24 years."

The event, dubbed No Pants 2010, was organized by Improv Everywhere, which started the annual pantless party in 2001 on the New York City subway.

Improv Everywhere has organized dozens of other stunts, such as drawing hundreds of people - via Facebook and other social media - to congregate at a Best Buy store in blue polo shirts and khakis, and to move in slow motion at a Home Depot store, both in New York City.

On Sunday, subway riders in 44 cities around the world stripped off their pants in the name of silliness.

Candace Leong was headed to Berkeley but changed plans when she saw the hairy legs and cheery smiles of her fellow BART riders. While on the train, she spontaneously took off her jeans, stowed them in her bag and joined the unclothed masses headed to San Francisco.

"I was going to go rock climbing but thought I'd do this instead," she said. "It's liberating, although it might be a little awkward if you did it alone."

Not everyone appreciated the humor. Tony Jackson, clad in a shimmering gold suit and tie, was headed to church on BART when he came across the pantless people.

"What the hell? It's a disgrace," said the San Francisco church elder, shaking his head. "It's an abomination."

"Here in the U.S., there is such a closed mentality," Manfredini said. "But this is wonderful! I think, 'Am I in America or Europe?' "

Gonzalez agreed.

"It's crazy, like everything else in San Francisco," he said. "We love it."

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